Children's Home run by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 1 SC357979 Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home cares for up to three children with EBD (social and emotional . Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since January 2021. No permanent appointment has been made to the post.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/06/2019 Full Outstanding 07/11/2018 Full Outstanding 30/08/2017 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 3

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to make progress by the small core group of permanent staff in the home. Children say that they have good relationships with these staff and trust them. However, a period of inconsistency within the staff team and a reliance on non-permanent staff have had an impact on children’s ability to build trusting relationships with all the staff who care for them. Children have used the complaints system within the home to raise their concerns about changes to staffing. A child said: ‘The past year has been bad. They tell us who is going to be on shift but then it changes at the last minute. It makes me feel uncomfortable because it’s our home.’

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improvement to be good

Two children have been supported through planned moves to semi-independent accommodation. One child came back to the home to participate in the inspection. He spoke warmly of his experience of living in the home and the support he received from staff. These relationships are being maintained after he has left the home through regular telephone calls. Children moving on are not always provided with memorabilia celebrating their experiences and achievements. This is an important part of their childhood which they do not have a record of.

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improvement to be good

All children are supported to maintain and make progress in education. One child who is due to leave school this summer is on track to attain good exam results. She has received two offers for sixth-form college places to pursue a career as a police officer. Other children on part-time timetables or accessing alternative provision are encouraged to make steps back into more formal learning. As a result, children’s long-term prospects for education and training are promoted.

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improvement to be good

Communal areas of the home are generally well maintained and provide children with a pleasant family environment to live in. Children are not always encouraged to keep their bedrooms tidy and return uneaten food and used crockery to the kitchen. One child has large quantities of clothing discarded on the floor of her wardrobe that spill out onto the bedroom floor. A litter bin is overflowing onto the carpet. This is not supporting children to value themselves or develop independence skills.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they cannot access the kitchen at night as the door is locked. As a result, children do not have reasonable access to all areas of the home as is expected in a family environment.

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improvement to be good

Children are not always being provided with a healthy, balanced diet. Children have easy access to over-processed meals and sugary snacks. There is no policy in place for children or staff to follow to support children who smoke cigarettes or e-cigarettes and to encourage smoking cessation. This means that children are not being provided with the skills and knowledge that they need to make healthy lifestyle choices in preparation for independence. Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 4 Children are supported to maintain and develop relationships with their family and friends. Parents say that communication from staff is good and that they are helped to play an active part in their child’s life. This means that children understand their family background and have a sense of their own identity.

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improvement to be good

The core staff team has a good understanding of the individual needs of each child and promotes their welfare. The regular use of non-permanent staff means that children are often being cared for by staff who do not have this level of understanding. This limits their ability to respond appropriately to children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Children’s care records are not organised in a way which helps children or staff access information easily. Some information is stored electronically and other records are kept in paper files. Staff do not always ensure that information such as delegated authority agreements, care plans and review minutes is obtained from other staff in the authority. As a result, staff do not always have all the information they need to undertake and progress children’s care plans. Children are not able to easily contribute to their care records.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans highlight risks to children but do not always provide staff and children with clear actions to prevent or reduce the impact or frequency of risk. It is also unclear when specific incidents have occurred.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans are not written in a way which supports staff and children to understand any changes to risk levels, monitor progress and identify patterns. As a result, staff and children do not always have all the information they need to understand risks and the different responses required for each child to manage these effectively. There is no management oversight of risk management plans. This means that the manager is not evaluating the effectiveness of practice and the ability of staff to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Records of searches of children’s bedrooms and sanctions imposed on children lack sufficient detail. Records of room searches do not always clearly state the rationale for staff searching a child’s room. They do not always record whether items have been taken, what staff have done with items when removed or if the child was present or consented to the search. When sanctions are imposed, records do not always evidence the reason for the sanction. Children are not routinely being given the opportunity to share their views and feelings following these incidents. This means that leaders and managers do not have the information they need to monitor the quality and effectiveness of practice with children.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff are proactive in their response. Children receive independent return home interviews and the information from these interviews is shared with staff. This ensures that risks to children in the community are reduced and that they return home safely. Staff liaise effectively with children’s Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 5 social workers to allow children time away from the home, including overnight stays, with friends when it is assessed as safe to do so. This reduces the risk of children going missing and gives them the opportunity to take part in positive childhood activities.

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improvement to be good

Children are rarely physically restrained by staff. One restraint has taken place in the reporting period. The form used to record the intervention is unclear and does not state clearly that the incident was a restraint. There was no debrief of staff following the incident and no child’s views were recorded. As a result, the interim manager has not evidenced that the incident was appropriately managed and that she has gained an understanding of the child’s experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leadership and management of the home are insufficient and ineffective. The registered manager post has been vacant for 13 months. The current interim manager has several other responsibilities within the local authority’s residential service. As a result, she spends little time at the home. She is not seen as providing leadership to the home by staff or children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The identified interim assistant manager for the home is currently absent from work. Her role has been covered by a further interim assistant manager from another part of the residential service. Staff say that this interim assistant manager is supportive and that children view her as overseeing the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A lack of permanent, coherent leadership and management over a prolonged period has resulted in inadequate monitoring and evaluation of practice in the home. Systems for collating and storing information appear chaotic. Some information requested during the inspection could not be provided in a timely manner. Other information was inaccurate or could not be accessed. Some staff supervision files could not be viewed as the key to the filing cabinet had been lost.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is a lack of stability and sufficiency in the permanent staff team. Staff are regularly moved to work in other homes within the authority at short notice. Some staff have been moved out of the home for weeks or months to respond to issues in staffing elsewhere in the residential service. This has affected the morale of staff and the emotional well-being of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The regular movement of staff from the home has resulted in an increased use of casual and agency staff. Staff working in other parts of the local authority children’s services department have been asked to provide staffing cover in the home. Staff rosters do not provide a clear record of which staff have worked each shift or the employment status of these staff. As a result, there is a lack of transparency and accountability for practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are being provided with supervision of their practice on a regular basis and written records of these supervisions are of a reasonable quality. Staff are not having annual appraisals of their fitness to practice. During the last year, staff have Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 6 been required to email their views of their practice and training needs to a manager. Some staff have had an email response to this. Other staff have had no response. This is poor practice and does not constitute a meaningful appraisal of staff’s professional abilities and development needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff can access mandatory training and most training is up to date. Some inaccuracies in the recording of training dates have resulted in more training appearing out of date than is the case. These inaccuracies are not supporting managers to have effective oversight of the training needs of staff. One member of staff has not completed the formal mandatory qualification required for their role within expected timescales. There are no arrangements in place for them to enrol on this course. This situation has not been escalated to senior leaders by the interim manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The interim manager has completed a quality of care review and shared this with Ofsted in a timely manner. The statement of purpose for the home has not been updated to reflect changes to the staff team. This affects the regulator’s ability to maintain effective oversight of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 7

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 8 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child.

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii) (vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

 written risk assessments and risk reduction plans provide staff and children with clear guidance about what staff need to do keep children safe  practice in relation to identification and review of risk supports staff and children to understand changes in risk levels over time; and  staff and children have access to written policies in relation to children who smoke. 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 15 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 9 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(iv)) The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date; and 15 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 10 are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that children’s care plans, statutory review minutes and delegated authority information are stored on each child’s care records.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that staffing records clearly record when staff, including non-permanent staff and the registered manager, have been working in the home. 15 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv)) 1 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 11 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the door to the kitchen is not locked at night, and children are made aware that they can access the kitchen at night.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iv)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that staff encourage children to keep their bedrooms tidy and store clothes appropriately, and that rubbish and waste food is removed from children’s bedrooms. 15 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 15 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 31 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 12

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that each child is eating a healthy, balanced diet. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered manager should ensure that each child is supported to collect memorabilia of their time in the home, which should include photos and other collected memories. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Market Street, Hyde, Tameside SK14 1AL

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC357979 14 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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